Donors allow signficant tuition decrease at Helias

JEFFERSON CITY - Helias Catholic High School announced Wednesday it would significantly reduce its tuition starting in the 2016-17 school year because of anonymous donations.

Tuition for Catholic students will see a decrease in tuition costs from almost $5,000 to $3,000. Non-Catholic students will have their tuition decreased from $6,200 to $4,900.

The current rates will remain for at least five years. After five years, the school said it will evaluate if the reduced tuition rate and hoped to renew a reduced tuition rate again.

“With the committed assistance of some very generous benefactors, as well as the ongoing support of the Helias Foundation and the continued support of our community, we are prepared to show our dedication to providing an affordable Catholic high school education,” said Helias Catholic High School President Father Stephen Jones.

“We look forward to this great tradition continuing, so that Catholic education in Jefferson City can further nurture the faith and educate the minds of the students entrusted to our care,” said Jones.

Jones said the school’s hope is that the Helias community will rise up to meet the current and future challenge of growing the Helias Foundation’s endowed funds to offset any future reduction in major donor support.

Plans to close any future gap between the reduced tuition and the actual cost of education include:

Fully funding the $5 million targeted increase of the foundation’s endowment through the current “Rooted in Faith, Building on Excellence” capital campaign.

The institution of a “Bridge the Gap” campaign each year for current Helias school families, further growing the endowment through the contribution of a tax-deductible gift to the foundation to offset the “gap” between our tuition rate and the actual cost of education.

Working to increase the community’s response to the Helias Foundation’s Annual Fund Drive.

"I am extremely grateful for the support of the core group of people who worked together to get this plan off the ground,” Jones said.

[Editor's note: this story has been updated to correct the image of Helias.]